Antibiotic-resistant pathogenic bacteria such as methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), fluoroquinolone resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Clostridium difficile, and multi-drug resistant Salmonella spp. are an emerging problem in modern medicine. The loss of efficacy of current antibiotics makes the identification and development of new antibiotics more critical. The environment, for example, is an important source of microbial strains capable of producing potent antimicrobials which can be isolated and purified from their natural sources.
Paenibacillus, spore-forming species widely distributed in the environment, are a potential source of new antimicrobials. Strains of Paenibacillus can produce diverse antimicrobial agents including lantibiotics, lipopeptides, and macrolides. Lipopeptides, for example, are compounds that are generally not synthesized by ribosomes, and that are active against a wide range of bacteria, fungi, and oomycetes. Lipopeptides can act as antiviral and antitumor agents, immunomodulators or specific toxins and enzyme inhibitors.
There is thus a need to identify and develop antimicrobial agents that are effective against a broad spectrum of microbial pathogens such as Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.